Film: "Ikiru" (1952)

[Bob Pr.]

"Ikiru" (1952), 143 min., B&W, Japanese, subtitles, Kurosawa director. It's one of Roger Ebert's Great Films: Ikiru :: rogerebert.com :: Great Movies IMDb ranks it 172 of the alltime best ever 250 films: Ikiru (1952) - IMDb "Rotten Tomatoes" lists it as 100/96% favorable by critics/audience Ikiru (Doomed) (Living) (To Live) Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes This film was viewed at our monthly series, "Great Films @ the Cathedral" Grace Cathedral - Topeka, Kansas

Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) is a long widowed, long time (over 30 years) city government clerk whose married son & wife live in his home. W's job, as section chief, is to review paper work produced by his section and apply his stamp to make them official. It's always been a meaningless, pretend work job, just is as the work in all the other sections.

W. has long suffered from stomach and digestive problems. He finally sees a doctor but, before seeing him, he chats with a fellow patient in the waiting room from whom he learns that if he has certain symptoms (all of which W. has) the doctor will tell him he has a mild ulcer, eat the foods that agree with him, etc.--but he really has stomach cancer and less than a year to live.

The doctor tells W. he has a mild ulcer and to eat the foods that agree with him, etc.; W. realizes his life is near its end.

He tries to tell his uncaring son but he's disinterested and doesn't hear. W. has been frugal, saving money--for what? He withdraws some and an acquaintance suggests W. live it up with drink, dance, and wild women and serves as W's guide through his futile attempt to find meaning.

A spark happens when a young woman who works in his department resigns because she can't stand its meaninglessness. W. is attracted by her vitality and spends time with her until she pushes him away.

But then he finds a purpose to accomplish: some mothers have been trying to have a swampy, buggy area in their neighborhood drained and converted into a playground for their children but they've been fruitlessly shuttled from department to department without any progress. W. takes up their cause and accomplishes the deed just before his death. During his last breaths, he gently swings in the new playground in the snow, smiling, at peace, softly singing a song about seizing life before it's too late.

After W's death, there's a wake at which his supervisors and coworkers drink and discuss W's legacy--did he accomplish anything?--did he know he had cancer?

All others in our "great films" group rated it as 10/10 stars--they were very moved by it and loved it.

While I also thought it was good, worthwhile, I'd rate it as 7/10.

The cause of my disappointments: I thought ALL of the characters were one dimensional stereotypes and the work situation & its appearance were over-the-top caricatures. Those qualities reminded me most of plays in a puppet theater and that diminished its power for me. But, despite that, the film has power and DID give a worthwhile experience and message (although not anywhere near that of Kurosawa's "Rashomon").

[Sams Mom]

Interesting. Side note: Watanabe is his last name.